All the information contained in this list can be found online, and I therefore presume that it can be made public. Please use this list responsibly. Think very carefully before sending manuscripts to a listed editor. Not all of them are open to unsolicited manuscripts. Check another source, such as CWIM and the publisher’s guidelines, for additional information about how and if to contact each person.

MELANIE KROUPA–editor-at-large, Marshall Cavendish. Especially interested in middle grade and young adult fiction., although she is open to picture books and narrative nonfiction as well. She is open to unsolicited manuscripts. Her address is: Melanie Kroupa, 52 Church Street, Dedham, MA 02026.

SUSAN KOCHAN–Assoc. Editorial Director, Putnam. PBs–We publish young, lively books that kids will want to read over and over. We mostly try to reach two- to six-year-olds (or up to first grade). Language play, rhythm, kid-friendly topics and conflicts, and strong, active characters are things we like. MG and YA--We are looking for fiction mainly for the 9-11 group. We don't do many series, and mostly only after the first book has done well. Strong characters, interesting/great voice, and quick-moving plots for both. Try to write about universal childhood experiences. Publishing books about other cultures is great, but they have to appeal to the American audience. Books she has edited include The World According to Humphrey, When It’s The Last Day of School, A Very Hairy Scary Story, I Wanna Iguana, I Wanna New Room, I Need A Snake, Let’s Play Rough!, Covered Wagons, Bumpy Trails, Gold Fever, and Cowboy Bunnies. She has worked with Bill Maynard, Verla Kay, and Lynne Jonell.

CHERYL KLEIN is the senior editor at Arthur A. Levine Books/Scholastic. Among the titles she has edited are A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce, winner of the inaugural William C. Morris Award for a YA debut novel; Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi, translated by Cathy Hirano, winner of the Mildred L. Batchelder Award for a book in translation; Millicent Min, Girl Genius, and four other novels by Lisa Yee (coedited with Arthur Levine); and Marcelo in the Real World, by Francisco X. Stork. She also served as the continuity editor for the last three books of the Harry Potter series. Visit her editorial website at www.cherylklein.com.

SARAH KETCHERSID–Executive Editor, Candlewick. Sarah edits edits picture books, chapter books, fiction, board books, and the occasional novelty book. Some of the books she has edited include A VISITOR FOR BEAR by Bonny Becker, illustrated by Kady MacDonald Denton; INTERRUPTING CHICKEN by David Ezra Stein; LIBRARY LION by Michelle Knudsen, illustrated by Kevin Hawkes; THOSE SHOES by Maribeth Boelts, illustrated by Noah Z. Jones; ITTY BITTY by Cece Bell; THE DRAGON OF TRELIAN by Michelle Knudsen, the OLOGY series, and many others.

GRACE ELIZABETH KENDALL is an Assistant Editor at The Blue Sky Press and Scholastic Press. Grace assists Bonnie Verburg and Dianne Hess with a wide range of material from board books to YA novels, both fiction and nonfiction. Recently, she assisted Bonnie with The Doom Machine, a novel written and illustrated by Mark Teague, and Living Sunlight: How Plants Brings the Earth to Life by Molly Bang an Penny Chisholm (illustrated by Molly Bang). And she assisted Diane with Testing the Ice by Sharon Robinson (illustrated by Kadir Nelson) and Truce: The Day the Soldiers Stopped Fighting by Jim Murphy.

ANDREW KARRE is the editorial director of Carolrhoda Books, an imprint of Lerner Publishing Group. He acquires fiction and nonfiction for children of all ages, but he's particularly passionate about YA. Andrew has published Maggie Stiefvater, Simone Elkeles, Carrie Jones, and Laurie Stolarz among many others.

CECILY KAISER–Editorial Director, Appleseed Books, Abrams. Ms. Kaiser targets children five years old and younger. She is responsible for “conceptualizing, launching, and managing all aspects” of Abram’s new emphasis. Ms. Kaiser is also a published author. Some of her published credits include On The First Night Of Chanukah, Over In The Meadow (Scholastic Hands-on Learning Stacking Ca), Tonka Trucks (Scholastic Hands-on Learning Stacking Ca), and Schol Reader Level 2: If You're Angry And You Know It: If You're Angry And You Know It (Schol Reader Level).

Appleseed features a variety of innovative formats, including board books, novelty books, and young picture books, The imprint publishes 8-10 titles each season, a mix of original books, imports, and branded series.

ALLYN JOHNSTON is VP & Publisher of Beach Lane Books, a small imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing that is located on a flower-filled lane in San Diego, CA. Beach Lane publishes for all ages and across all genres, with a primary focus on lyrical, emotionally engaging, highly visual picture books for young children. She once said, “Picture books are an extremely emotional art form. When they work – why they work, is because they make you feel something.” She looks for books that create a bond between adult and child. Recent titles she’s edited are New York Times bestseller Ten Little Fingers and Ten Little Toes by Mem Fox, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury, and A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee, which received a Caldecott Honor.

ZAREEN JAFFERY is a senior editor at Simon and Schuster. Previously at HarperCollins, her list focused mainly on teen fiction for girls, with projects including The Vampire Diaries by L.J. Smith, L.A. Candy by Lauren Conrad, Evernight by Claudia Gray, and Dark Guardians by Rachel Hawthorne. She was previously an Editor at Hyperion Books.

KATHERINE JACOBS is an Associate Editor at Roaring Brook Press in New York. Katherine works on everything from picture books through YA. She is interested in smart, fresh, character driven stories for all ages and is probably not the best match for gritty, dark, realistic YA novels. She is the editor of the chapter book series Gym Shorts by Betty Hicks as well as the middle-grade Cat Royal Adventure series by Julia Golding. Katherine has worked on books by Kazuno Kohara (Ghosts in the House!), Jacqueline Wilson (Best Friends), and Kate Thompson (Creature of the Night). She also works on nonfiction and is editing a picture book by Don Brown.

FARRIN JACOBS, Editorial Director, HarperCollins. She heads the teen fiction series team in the fiction publishing group. She's looking for good books and says "...supernatural is popular, but because it’s so popular I like to find projects that feel different than what’s already out there. And anytime something’s not totally working with a plot or character, I suggest my authors consider adding a vampire (she's kidding -- mostly. One thing I totally try to avoid is the word “hottie.” It’s one of my pet peeves, dating back to my days in chick lit." Projects Ms. Farrin has worked on include series fiction such as: Pretty Little Liars (Sara Shepard), The Luxe (Anna Godebersen), L.A. Candy (Lauren Conrad), and The Amanda Project. Stand alone titles include: How to Be Bad (Lauren Myracle, E. Lockhart, Sarah Mlynowski), The Real Real (Emma McLaughlin and Nicola Kraus), Jellicoe Road (Melina Marchetta), Switch (Carol Snow) and The Body Finder (Kimberly Derting).

JENNIFER HUNT is VP of acquisitions and development and editor-at-large. Hunt acquires literary and commercial fiction for middle-grade and young adult readers. She was previously an Editorial Director at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers where she oversaw middle grade and young adult fiction acquisition. Her novels included National Book Award Winner, The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian by Sherman Alexie, National Book Award Finalist , Story of a Girl by Sara Zarr, The Name of this Book is Secret series by Pseudonymous Bosch and the How to Train Your Dragon series by Cressida Cowell. She is currently working on books with Cornelia Funke, Carlos Ruiz Zafon, Paolo Bacigalupi and Jewell Parker Rhodes.

CONNIE HSU is an Assistant Editor at Little Brown Books for Young Readers. Connie has seen it all, from board books to YA. She has edited The Devouring #1-3 (YA horror), The A-List Hollywood Royalty #1-2 (a spin-off from the bestselling The A-List series), and Moonshadow (MG ninja spy adventure). She has an affinity for Edward Gorey and Roald Dahl, and has acquired a similarly hilarious MG novel, The Adventures of Nanny Piggins. She also acquired the fully illustrated YA novel, Happyface by Emo Boy comic creator Stephen Emond (due out March 2010), and she recently acquired a PB biography based on Booker T. Washington by Guggebheim Fellow Jabari Asim. At one conference, Ms. Hsu mentioned (with tongue firmly planted in cheek) that she thinks children are “morbid and strange” and though she doesn’t want to see books about cute animals, she likes to see anything with dead animals. She describes herself as “hungry & completely strange." She loves it when animals talk about their humans. And speaking of animals, in picture books, she likes real 100% true animal stories- Marley and Me, Chowder, but not so much fiction starring animals. Thus far, Ms. Hsu has only actually acquired two books overall.

LB has moved to a paperless submission process, and only accepts submissions that are agented, editor-requested or are Hachette employee referrals. The editors use e-readers.

A "no" to a manuscript from one editor at LB is a no from the whole house. And once a manuscript is declined by an editor there, it is a wholesale NO on that work unless they ask for revisions. So make sure you (or your agent) really know what an individual editor wants.

GRETCHEN HIRSCH, Assoc. Editor. Divides her time between Atheneum and McElderry - Gretchen loves YA paranormal stories and smart, sexy chick lit. She pines for literary books that are satisfying page-turners to boot. Also has a craving for YA series and non-fiction picture books. Some books she’s edited include Jessica’s Guide to Dating on the Dark Side by Beth Fantaskey, What Will Fat Cat Sit On? By Jan Thomas, and the forthcoming The Body Finder by Kimberly Derting. Gretchen is looking for exciting and innovative books that will fit the literary heritage of both Antheneum and McElderry—offbeat PBs, innovative nonfiction, sweet and funny MG, and YA page-turners with lots of romance and suspense. Oh, and books with dogs.

DIANNE HESS, Executive Editor at Scholastic Press, is looking for a fabulous story with a strong voice, universal theme, strong values, kid appeal, and books that can become enduring classics. She edits fiction and nonfiction picture books, as well as some chapter books, middle-grade fiction and nonfiction, and YA fiction. Dianne has edited numerous books, including The Three Questions by Jon J. Muth (forty weeks on the Book Sense Bestseller List); Come On, Rain! by Karen Hesse, illustrated by Jon J. Muth (Society of Illustrators Gold Medal winner); I Have a Dream by Martin Luther King, Jr., illustrated by fifteen Coretta Scott King Award and Honor Book artists (winner of the NAACP Image Award); The Amazing Life of Benjamin Franklin by James Cross Giblin (ALA Notable, Orbis Pictus Honor Book); Blizzard! by Jim Murphy (Siebert Honor Book, ALA Notable); and The Great Fire by Jim Murphy (a Newbery Honor Book, Orbis Pictus Award, Boston-Globe Horn Book Honor).

ANNE HELTZEL-Razorbill (Penguin). Ms. Heltzel has rejoined Razorbill after a year of traveling and writing in India. In addition to new acquisitions, she will oversee several of her ongoing former projects, including Kirsten Miller's The Eternal Ones. She is also the author of three forthcoming young adult novels.

MIRIAM HEES is the Publisher of Blooming Tree Press in Austin, Texas. Blooming Tree Press began publishing Children’s and Young Adult Fiction in 2002 and will begin publishing Adult Fiction and Graphic Novels in 2010. The company is dedicated to creating quality books for young readers and adults. Submissions accepted from conference attendees (name of conference must be marked on the envelope) and for the Bloom Award only. With 5 current imprints, Blooming Tree Press has had 28 books in print since the end of 2009. Hees is a 4th generation Texan with a fabulous husband and two wonderful grown children. She loves to quilt, sew and crochet for her favorite charities and is also a pretty darn good amateur chef.

MEIKA HASHIMOTO–editor, Golden Books, Random House. Ms. Hashimoto is the author of A Tale Of Two Gardens, Barbie: Fashion Fairytale, and Glimmer, Shimmer, and Shine!, among other RH Golden Books. Common themes of the Golden Books in the past have included nature and science, Bible stories, nursery rhyme, fairy tales, Christmas titles, and media tie-ins such as Sesame Street, the Muppets, Disney, Barbie, Power Rangers, etc. The fact that many old titles remain in print shows the strong nostalgia appeal of Little Golden Books, an imprint that first appeared in 1942.

ANDREW HARWELL–Asst. Editor at Dial Books for Young Readers. There, he edits books for children of all ages, from picture books to middle grade series to YA novels. He edited a collection of short stories, Fear, with stories by R.L. Stine, Meg Cabot, Heather Brewer, and others, and he works on such New York Times bestselling series as Skippyjon Jones and The Chronicles of Vladimir Tod. He is always on the hunt for fiction with a healthy dose of heart, a subversive sense of humor, or a unique spin on magic, for whatever age and in whatever form

KATHERINE HARRISON--Editor, Knopf. She graduated Magna Cum Laude from New York University in 2008 with a B.A. in International Relations. Ms. Harrison edits picture books through young adult. She believes strongly in the power of books to foster better understanding between people from disparate backgrounds, and to this end, has a strong interest in Latin American literature.

KATE HARRISON, Editor, Dial Books for Young Readers. Kate is drawn to a wide range of genres, from realistic fiction of any time period to fantasies grounded in everyday reality—and, above all, to stories “with unforgettable characters full of heart and sass. Bonus points if you make me guffaw at my desk.” Dial in general looks for stories with a strong commercial hook, but with a literary spin. Strong writing is essential. The stories should have a certain weight—something that won’t feel dated in five years. Award-winning novels Kate has edited include Aurora County All-Stars by Deborah Wiles, Willow by Julia Hoban, and multi-award winners Orange Houses by Paul Griffin and Peak by Roland Smith. Peak is about a boy who wants to be the youngest kid to climb Mount Everest, but must make difficult choices along the way. Drizzle by Kathleen Van Cleve is about a girl who lives on a farm where rhubarb tastes like chocolate, her best friend is a rhubarb plant, diamonds sprout from the ground, and it rains every Monday at 1:00.

RACHEL GRIFFITHS–Editor, Scholastic Press. Rachel would like to see: “a really rotten villain,” as well as stories rooted in emotion, voice and character driven manuscripts. She looks for honesty, passion, a unique point of view, and a manuscript from which the perception of a fascinated mind comes through. Books she has edited include: The Key to Rondo by Emily Rodda, 39 Clues Book One: The Maze of Bones by Rick Riordan (and others in the series), Knut: How One Little Polar Bear Captivated the World by Craig Hatkoff, and Blue Mountain Trouble by Martin Mordecai.

REGINA GRIFFIN, Egmont USA. Regina is actively seeking MG and YA novels. She also is open to debut writers. Unfortunately, Egmont USA does not take unsolicited Mss. Books Ms. Griffin recommends: Harriet, the Spy, The Penderwicks. What attracts her: a distinctive voice. What interests her: quirky, inventive, interesting characters. Query no-no's: “I read it to my kids and they loved it!” Regina says, "When I first started in this career, we used to get 30 manuscripts and 27 of them were really bad, so 3 got published. Now I get 30 manuscripts and 27 of them are excellent, but still, only 3 can get published."

JENNIFER B. GREENE – Jennifer B. Greene, Senior Editor at Clarion Books. Open to unsolicited, but will not respond unless interested. Do not include an SASE. NO email submissions. Greene adds that personally, she’s not a fan of query letters, but would rather see the entire fiction manuscript. For nonfiction, she needs to see a detailed proposal with sample chapters. Preschool Picture books. Quirky & subversive, with illustrations that have vintage appeal. No bedtime stories. Books shouldn’t be for adults for should reflect the early experience of preschool or early elementary kids. Multicultural. Only 2 % of books feature Latino characters, yet our population has many bilingual families. Asian folktales, especially if they affirm our shared humanity. Nonfiction picture books. These are often for upper elementary students. Would like to see something on the topics of art, food, architecture, design. Nonfiction for older readers. Wide variety of nonfiction topics and biographies. For either middle grade or YA readers, Greene looks for character oriented stories. Would like to see something in an alternate universe, apocalyptic stories, life after death. By or about emigres, especially India, Pakistan and Bangladesh. Something that includes the clash of cultures.

PAM GLAUBER, editor, Holiday House. Is seeking mss. from picture books to YA and she is open to fractured fairy tales, folk tales, curriculum tie-ins (science and nature, social studies, and math), mysteries, fantasy, and (her personal favorite) historical fiction. Holiday House will no longer reply unless there is editorial interest in a project.

DONNA GERMAN is editor of Sylvan Dell Publishing, founded to promote “science and math through literature.” She is also the author of two award-winning children’s books—CAROLINA’S STORY and OCTAVIA as well as 16 cookbooks. Sylvan Dell publishes fictional stories that relate to animals, nature, the environment, and science. All books should subtly convey an educational theme through a warm story that is fun to read and that will grab a child’s attention. Each book has a three to five page "For Creative Minds" section to reinforce the educational component of the book itself. This section will have a craft and/or game as well as “fun facts” to be shared by the parent, teacher, or other adult. Authors do not need to supply this information but may be actively involved in its development if they would like. They do accept simultaneous submissions. Manuscripts must be less than 1500 words. E-mail submissions only.

TRACY GATES, Viking. Tracy credits her sportswriter father for her love of athletic competition and her Peace Corps Volunteer mother (currently serving in Mongolia!) for her love of adventure. She edits picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, and young-adult fiction, and works with well-established authors, including Rich Wallace, Sally Warner, David Adler, and Elisa Carbone, and newer ones including Ron Woods, Jarrett Krosoczka and Liza Ketchum. Tracy is interested in sports-themed, adventure, contemporary and historical fiction, and fantasy.

JESSICA DANDINO GARRISON, Dial, Jessica looks for fresh, authentically voiced picture books, chapter books, and 'tween and teen fiction with commercial appeal and literary heft--in other words, rich, emotionally true, character-driven stories with great hooks. Her interests tend to straddle the commercial/literary divide and run the gamut from dark future dystopias to relevant historical fiction, white-knuckled adventure to poignant/irreverent coming-of-age tales, sassy chick-lit (with lots of brains and heart) to updated fairytales with a twist-plus everything in between. Her picture book tastes tend toward the spare, silly, endearing, and witty. Picture books have fewer words these days than in the past. Picture books need to be under 1000 words. A 400 word picture book is a bonus! Less is more. Build the story through mystery rather than setting everything out. Introductory paragraphs that tell too much can be a problem because it’s important to care about the character first. Picture books need to have a narrative. But regardless of format or genre, she looks for depth, complexity, heart, humor, and a voice that's true and fresh.

DAVID GALE, VP and Editorial Director Simon & Schuster BFYP. Looking for all genres from PB to YA, although he despises rhyming PBs! He enjoys a quirky character driven story, and short PB (1-2 lines per page). He asked that we address submissions to the "Submissions Department" instead of to him directly. He said publishing now is more complicated and kind of schizophrenic, without rules. The picture book market is still soft. The cost of producing a book is more challenging. It's more difficult to make books earn money on paper when they are trying to get them approved. There's a lot of contradiction, and publishing a book is more of a gamble than ever.

CLAUDIA GABEL is a Senior Editor at Katherine Tegen Books, an imprint of HarperCollins Children’s Books, acquiring and developing middle grade and YA fiction in a variety of genres. Her best known titles are the New York Times bestselling series Summer Boys by Hailey Abbott, and the Scarlett Wakefield mystery novels by Lauren Henderson. Ms. Gabel used to work for Alloy entertainment that produced projects such as Gossip Girl and The Vampire Diaries. She’s also worked at Delacorte. She likes to do development work and has also worked as a book packager. She looks for beautiful prose. But she’s also looking for people who can write fast! She likes to keep a ramped up schedule. She’s also interested in tween books and teen mysteries and doesn’t like query letters with no personality. She wants to see who you are on the page.

LYDIA FROST is an editor at Simon and Schuster Books for Young Readers. Lydia works on all kinds of books, from PBs to YA. She has been part of the editorial team on projects such as Chicken Cheeks written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Kevin Hawkes; The Case of the Case of the Mistaken Identity, the first book in the Brixton Brothers series, by Mac Barnett; and The True Gift by Patricia MacLachlan. Lydia’s particular interests lie in MG novels with strong boy or girl appeal. She also enjoys young PBs that are light in text.

REBECCA FRAZER–Sourcebooks, Jabberwocky. Ms. Frazer acquires picture books, beginner chapter books, and middle-grade fiction for Jabberwocky—both series and stand-alone titles. She is interested in picture book authors and illustrators who use language and art to inspire the imagination. Rebecca is also looking for middle-grade projects in the areas of friendship, mystery, humor, fantasy, and historical fiction.

KILEY FRANK is an editor at Atheneum who's been working at Simon & Schuster since 2005. She's the editor of the chapter book Dessert First by Hallie Durand and the teen memoir Three Little Words by Ashley Rhodes-Courter. “What I most look for in a manuscript is the quality of the writing. I can fall in love with a book about anything as long as it is beautifully told.” She’s looking for submissions with strong characters, unique voices, and interesting family dynamics. Ms. Frank has acquired titles such as Marion Dan Bauer's Little Dog Lost, Nerd Camp by Elissa Brent Weissman, and Eva of the Farm by Dia Calhoun.

KATE FLETCHER is an Associate Editor at Candlewick. She works on books across all types of genres- -from picture books to young adult novels. Her authors include Meg Medina, Leslie McGuirk, Richard Sobol, and Lark Pien. She is the US editor for Liz Kessler, Allan Ahlberg, Polly Dunbar, Martin Handford and John Burningham, among others. She is also the US editor of the Templar Books. Topics she’s worked on include: a photo-essay about rice, a picture book about an immigrant girl and her aunt, and a picture book about a man who takes care of little elephants. She's more interested in fictional picture books and novels than in nonfiction.

MARGARET FERGUSON–Margaret Ferguson Books (new imprint of Farrar, Straus and Giroux, Inc.) Ferguson has been called Ferguson “the heart, soul, and brains of the Farrar, Straus & Giroux children’s publishing program.” Her imprint will publish approximately 15 titles per year, across all age ranges and formats. Ferguson has worked with such authors as Brock Cole, Alexandra Day, Uri Shulevitz, David Small, Sarah Stewart, and Judith Viorst.

GREG FERGUSON is an editor at Egmont USA. At Egmont, Greg is responsible for acquiring and editing his own projects and working alongside Regina Griffin (executive editor) and Elizabeth Law (publisher) on other titles published by Egmont. Their first list of 15 books was published in fall 2009. Greg’s primary acquisition interests include boy’s adventure fiction, middle-grade ghost stories, horror novel (or series) for tweens, edgy and realistic YA fiction, and humorous stories for middle-grade or tweens.

NANCY FERESTEN, Editor, National Geographic. National Geographic has become one of the few major publishing houses to reverse its policy of not accepting unsolicited queries from writers. Nancy wants to hear from writers, which is why they’ve opened their doors again. But, she said their team is too small to respond to every query, so they have instituted a policy that they will only respond if they’re interested in your work. She also informed the crowd that National Geographic is looking for writers of serious reference, innovative narrative nonfiction and fun reference materials.

JEAN FEIWEL, Senior VP Publisher, Feiwel and Friends. Jean ran the trade division of Scholastic for twenty plus years. She has edited Only a Witch Can Fly by Alison McGhee and Taeeun Yoo, Killer Pizza by Greg Taylor, Eyes Like Stars by Lisa Mantchev, The Spirit of Christmas by Nancy Tillman, and Spellbinder by Helen Stringer. In discussing the name of her imprint, Jean says: “I feel strongly that books don't happen by themselves--they are all about the authors/artists/ editors/art directors who together are part of this process called book publishing.You can't do it alone. I couldn't do it alone. But with a little help from my friends well, there you have it.”

SHAUNA FAY is an Assistant Editor at G. P. Putnam’s Sons, a division of Penguin Young Readers Group. Shauna works on everything from PBs to YA novels. She has edited the PB book, Little Pink Pup by Johanna Kerby, and has worked on Jack Higgins’ YA action series written with Justin Richards, as well as Jan Bret’s Snowy Treasury, and Goodnight Goon and Runaway Mummy by Michael Rex. While open to books for all ages, she is particularly interested in MG fiction with a strong narrative voice, historical fiction, and is a sucker for a romantic ending. She is also interested in young funny, simple picture book texts and is open to rhyme.

BRIAN FARREY, editor, Flux. Looking for realistic, teen fiction from authors with a unique voice. Wants to see mss. between 30,000 and 100,000 words sent by email (submissions@fluxnow.com). “At Flux, we like to say that young adult is a point of view and not a reading level. To that end, I’m building a list of edgy, realistic teen fiction that embodies young adult viewpoints and never condescends.” Brian is a sucker for a strong, distinctive voice. He’s interested in a gamut of projects—from quirky, lighthearted comedies to intense character driven dramas to imaginative, unique fantasy—but, as of this writing, if he receives one more vampire submission, his head will explode.

KATE FARRELL–Editor, Holt. Henry Holt & Company publishes picture books, fiction and nonfiction. Books for older readers Ms. Farrell has edited include the following: Harmonic Feedback by Tara Kelly, The Adoration of Jenna Fox by Mary Pearson, Cold Hands, Warm Heart by Jill Wolfson, Whip It by Shauna Cross. Picture books include: Stop Snoring, Bernard! by Zachariah O’Hora, Pigs To The Rescue by John Himmelman.

EMILY FABRE is an Editorial Assistant at Margaret K. McElderry Books, Simon and Schuster Children’s Publishing. Emily, as part of the editorial team at McElderry Books, works on everything from PBs to YA. The McElderry list is known for character-driven literary fiction and fantasy. Emily works as part of the editorial team for The Mortal Instruments series by Cassandra Clare, as well as books by Zilpha Keatley Snyder and Hilary McKay.

CLAIRE EVANS is an editorial assistant at Dial Books for Young Readers, where she works with Kathy Dawson and Jess Garrison on a list of authors who write for YA (like Franny Billingsley and Kristin Cashore), middle grade (authors such as Gennifer Choldenko and Jacqueline West), and who write and illustrate picture books (Joe Berger and Kevin Sherry). She is on the look out for middle grade and young adult fiction, especially action or sports stories with strong characters. She also likes character-driven tales in the edgy fantasy and magical realism genres—anything that puts a new and surprising twist on things.

NICK ELIOPULOS-Scholastic Trade. MG and YA. Looking for boy interest novels, high concept sci fi and fantasy. He is the editor of the picture book Squirrelly Gray, the middle-grade novel The Hound of Rowan, and a forthcoming graphic-novel series called The Sons of Liberty. He also creates comics in his spare time, and has had short pieces published in the anthologies Stuck in the Middle and First Kiss (Then Tell). While he’s open to submissions for any age range or format, Nick is primarily interested in middle-grade fiction with boy appeal. He says, "Hooks help—a lot. Even once I've signed on a book, I have to pitch it to sales and marketing, who have to pitch it to retailers and librarians. If you've got a unique and memorable spin, that's half the battle won."

CHELSEA EBERLY is an assistant editor with Random House Books for Young Readers. She acquires the full spectrum of children’s books—picture books, middle grade, and YA. Current projects include the picture book It’s Milking Time by Phyllis Alsdurf, illustrated by Steve Johnson and Lou Fancher; Brian Falkner’s YA action thrillers, The Project and The Assault; and Elsie Chapman’s high-concept dystopian YA about a society where people have an Alt—or doppelganger—who they must face and kill before they can be considered an adult, tentatively titled The Assignment. She’s had the pleasure of working with New York Times bestselling authors Mary Pope Osborne and Tamora Pierce. She’s on the lookout for projects with great voice and an unusual twist.

BROOKE DWORKIN is an Editor at Hyperion. In the past, Brooke has worked on everything from novelty and picture books through MG fiction. In her time at Grosset and Dunlap she edited Periwinkle Smith and the Twirly Whirly Tutu, Everyone Says I Love You, A Vampire is Coming for Dinner, and The Mysterious Mr. Spines: Song. Novelty concepts with a seasonal angle for young children and MG series fiction were two of her specialties.

MARY LEE DONOVAN, Candlewick, enjoys editing a variety of genres, from nonfiction to picture books to fiction to projects that demand an audience in spite of their refusal to be neatly and easily categorized. She is the editor of the Judy Moody and Stink series by Megan McDonald, as well as the editor for Laura Amy Schlitz, author of the 2008 Newbery Medal winner, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Voices from a Medieval Village. Among the other authors with whom she works are Jane Cowen-Fletcher, John Lechner, Emma Magenta, Scott Nash, Catharine O'Neill, Doreen Rappaport, and Rosemary Wells. Ms. Donovan advises, “Don’t always follow the rules. Focus on what moves people.”

CAITLYN DLOUHY, senior editor at Atheneum. She’s edited The Wolfbay Wings hockey series by Bruce Brooks; If You Give a Pig a Pancake, by Laura Numeroff/Felicia Bond; The Leaf Men and Santa Calls by William Joyce; BUZ by Richard Egielski; The Sky Is Always in the Sky by Karla Kuskin. Caitlyn is looking for a manuscript that sends her mind off already imagining illustrations or an illustrator. PBs must be visual, concise, and active. She loves quirky and different kinds of experiences, and if she reacts with the feeling that "I love this world and I want to be in it,' she's sold. Humor is always an appeal, but stories that touch a soft spot are also welcome. Strong characters are a must. She’s always looking for strong middle grade and YA, but generally not looking for a series. Three strong features she looks for in both YA and middle grade are compelling, vivid characters, unique voices and points of view, and a richly worked plot. Sweet Valley High books are not her forte! More of Caitlyn’s books: Falling In, Out of My Mind, Dream of Night, Boom Boom Go Away, So Many Days, Zebrafish, Keeper, Gumption, All Things Bright and Beautiful, Nothing and We the Children.

JEANNE ELDERS DEWAARD–managing editor at Eerdmans. Ms. Dewaard received her B.A. from the University of Michigan in 1990 and worked in the book publishing industry before earning her Ph.D. from the University of Miami in 2003. Eerdmans publishes 12 to 18 books a year, from board books and picture books for young children to middle grade and young adult books. They publish both fiction and nonfiction, including biographies, historical fiction, and novels. She loves reading a manuscript that deals with ordinary life but approaches it in a fresh way and makes her see or appreciate something about everyday existence from a new angle. She’s drawn toward stories about ordinary experiences related by characters who think and feel deeply about them more than by plot-driven stories filled with action. She likes to see manuscripts that deal with current social issues or events of historical significance, picture books as well as books for older children—ones that illuminate something about the human condition, even if it’s in a humorous or quirky way.

ALYSON DAY, editor with HarperCollins Children’s Books is currently focusing on middle-grade and young-adult manuscripts, both literary and commercial. Asked about her submission policy, Day says that she is open to query letters but not to manuscripts.

KATHY DAWSON–editor at Dial. Ms. Dawson edits middle-grade and young adult novels, as well as a small number of picture books. Some of the books she has edited include BITTERBLUE by Kristin Cashore and AL CAPONE DOES MY SHIRTS by Gennifer Choldenko. She looks for wordplay, humor, and new perspectives in picture books. One thing that appeals to her is intrigue. Great books often have a "gasp factor," she says. She also looks for adventure in a manuscript, which really means a great plot. A geat book doesn't have to be a deep character study if there's a really exciting plot. In discussing the economic downturn, she says that there are now a smaller number of people doing the same amount of work. She adds that people working in publishing are passionate about it and will ride out the storm. The current climate is tougher on picture books than MG and YA. She says the pace of change in the publishing industry is faster than ever.

JOCELYN DAVIES is an Editorial Assistant at HarperCollins Children’s Books. Jocelyn works with Tara Weikum and Sarah Sevier on a wide range of projects—from picture books to YA—with a particular emphasis on YA and girls tween fiction. Among the recent titles she has helped edit are Pretty Dead by Franceska Lia Block, Tangled by Carolyn Mackler, Love You Hate You Miss You by Elizabeth Scott, Once Dead, Twice Shy by Kim Harrison, Viloa in Reel Life by Adrianna Trigiani, and the nationally bestselling Seekers series by Erin Hunter. Always on the lookout for the kind of book you just can’t put down, Jocelyn is particularly interested in girls tween fiction with a quirky and lovable heroine and a distinct, standout voice; a fresh, unexpected take on dark and edgy high concept paranormal YA; and unique, funny (extra points if you can make me laugh on the subway!) or beautifully written coming of age stories.

KRISTIN DALY (see KRISTIN DALY RENS), editor Balzer and Bray.